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Weight loss is a physical condition that results from a negative caloric balance. This usually occurs when the body uses and/or excretes essential nutrients faster than it can consume them. Essentially more calories are being burned than are being taken in. Weight loss is considered clinically important when it exceeds 10 percent of the normal body weight and is not associated with fluid loss.

Weight loss is typically diagnosed through history and physical examination findings. It is important to confirm that weight loss has occurred through a review of the pet’s previous body weights. Determining the cause of the weight loss requires further testing such as bloodwork, abdominal x-rays, abdominal ultrasound, urinalysis and fecal examinations.
Treatment depends on the underlying disorder causing the weight loss, severity of the disease, your individual pet, and your veterinarian. Supportive treatments may include force-feeding, appetite stimulants, vitamin/mineral supplementation, or in severe cases, temporary intravenous nutrition for those animals that cannot take food orally. Discuss additional treatment details when your pet is evaluated and the underlying condition causing weight loss is diagnosed. .

Vomiting, also called “emesis”, is the act of expelling contents from the stomach through the mouth. There are multiple causes of vomiting. An occasional, infrequent isolated episode of vomiting is usually normal.

Vomiting is a symptom that can be caused by disorders of the gastrointestinal system (stomach and/or intestines) or it can be secondary to a disease from a different system (such as from cancer, kidney failure, diabetes, or infectious diseases). This can make the diagnosis of the cause of the vomiting a challenge.

Vomiting can be defined as acute (sudden onset) or chronic (longer duration of one to two weeks). It is important to consider the duration and frequency of the vomiting when evaluating the severity of the condition and diagnostic plan. The severity or concurrence of other signs will determine the recommendation for specific diagnostic tests to determine the underlying cause of the vomiting.
Diagnosis and Treatment Notes:
The cause of vomiting may be diagnosed by a thorough history, physical examination, bloodwork, fecal examination for parasites, a parvo test, abdominal x-rays and/or abdominal ultrasound. In some situations, contrast x-rays (Barium series) or exploratory surgery may be required to diagnose the underlying cause of the vomiting.
Treatment depends on the severity of the disease, the underlying cause of the vomiting, your individual pet, and your veterinarian. Pets with vomiting may be treated by withholding food and water, fluids, antibiotics, and medications to reduce vomiting. For some diseases, endoscopy or surgery may be indicated. Discuss treatment details when your pet is diagnosed with this condition.

A seizure or convulsion is a sudden excessive firing of nerves in the brain. It results in a series of involuntary contractions of the voluntary muscles, abnormal sensations, abnormal behavior, or some combination. A seizure can last from seconds to minutes. The severity of the seizure can vary between a far-away look or twitching in one part of the face to falling on the side, barking, gnashing teeth, urinating, defecating and paddling limbs.

Seizures are symptoms of some neurological disorder – they are not in themselves a disease. Some underlying causes include low blood sugar, liver disease, inflammatory or infectious diseases of the nervous system, poisons or toxins, brain tumor, head trauma or epilepsy.
There is no current accurate estimate of the incidence of seizure episodes in dogs. Seizures occur in both males and females with equal frequency, and many pets have one seizure and never have another.

Diagnosis and Treatment Notes:

The underlying cause of a seizure disorder is generally diagnosed by physical examination, including a neurologic examination, history, bloodwork and urinalysis. Depending on physical exam findings, additional tests may be recommended. In some situations, an MRI or CT scan of the brain may be suggested.
Treatment depends on the underlying cause of the seizures, the frequency of the seizures, your individual pet, and your veterinarian. Treatment will depend on if an underlying cause is determined. Some pets will benefit from surgery, special diet, anticonvulsant (seizure) medication, steroids or other drugs to help treat the condition. Discuss treatment details when your pet is diagnosed with this condition.

What to Watch for*:

Seizures
Staggering
Loss of bowel or bladder control
Gnashing teeth

*Please notify us if you notice any of the above signs or if you have any questions!

Red eye is a non-specific sign of inflammation or infection. Some conditions associated with a red eye can be painful, itchy and cause sensitivity to light resulting in squinting or the eye being held closed. A red eye may be seen with diseases of the external eyelids, third eyelid, conjunctiva, cornea, or sclera. It may also occur with inflammation of the structures inside the eye, with glaucoma, uveitis or with certain diseases of the eye socket. Either one or both eyes can become red, depending upon the cause of the problem.

Eyes become reddened when blood vessels of the conjunctiva (the pink lining of the eyeball and eyelids), sclera (white covering of the eye), or cornea (clear surface of the eye) become enlarged or more numerous.

Diagnosis and Treatment Notes:

Red eye is typically diagnosed through history and complete eye examination. Determining the cause of the red eye requires further testing such as a Schirmer tear test, fluorescein staining, tonometry to measure eye pressure, tissue scrapings to test for bacteria, parasites, viruses or biopsies of masses around the eye. Depending on the underlying cause, bloodwork and x-rays may also be recommended.

Treatment depends on the underlying disorder, severity of the disease, your individual pet, and your veterinarian. Treatment may include anti-inflammatory medication, antibiotics, lubricant eye drops, or surgery in some cases. Discuss treatment details when your pet is evaluated and the underlying condition is diagnosed.

What to Watch for*:

Redness of the eye or structures around the eye
Squinting, increased blinking, holding the eye closed
Pawing or rubbing at the eye
Possible decrease in vision or blindness
Possible cloudiness of the eye
Tearing or discharge from the eye

* Pets that scratch or rub at its eye can do significant damage and should be evaluated immediately. An “e-collar” may be required to prevent additional injury. Please notify us if you notice any of the above signs or if you have any questions!

Pruritus or itching is an unpleasant sensation that causes a pet to scratch or bite. It is caused by chemical reactions that occur in the skin and stimulate the nerves, causing the brain to feel the itch. In fact, the act of scratching itself may stimulate these inflammatory reactions in the skin and make the condition worse. Any skin condition that causes inflammation can cause pruritus.

Pruritus is associated with other skin diseases, including secondary bacterial skin infections and secondary yeast infections. But it is the main symptom of skin conditions like allergies and skin parasites.

How pruritus affects your pet’s health depends on the degree of the pruritus. Mild pruritus may hardly have any effect at all. However, severe pruritus leads to intense scratching, which may result in painful skin lesions that may become infected. Your pet may cry out and have trouble sleeping.

Diagnosis and Treatment Notes:

Pruritis is generally diagnosed by a complete history and physical examination. Skin scrapings and fungal cultures may be recommended to try to determine an underlying cause of the itchiness.

Treatment depends on the severity of the disease, your individual pet, and your veterinarian. The underlying cause should be treated but temporary relief can be obtained with antihistamines, fatty acid supplements, soothing shampoos and corticosteroids. Discuss treatment details when your pet is diagnosed with this condition.

Lethargy is a state of drowsiness, inactivity, or indifference in which there are delayed responses to external stimuli such as sound, sight, or touch. Lethargy may also refer to the general malaise and decreased activity exhibited by animals that do not feel well.

Lethargy is a nonspecific sign associated with many possible underlying systemic disorders. It may have little to no impact on the affected individual; however its presence may represent severe or life-threatening illness. Lethargy of more than a day’s duration should not be ignored, and should be addressed, especially if it persists.
Some causes include anemia, heart or lung disease, infection, trauma, side effects from medications, metabolic disorders or cancer.

Diagnosis and Treatment Notes:

Lethargy is typically diagnosed through history and physical examination findings. Determining the cause of the lethargy requires further testing that may include bloodwork, urinalysis, abdominal and chest x-rays, abdominal and chest ultrasound, specialized blood tests, and fecal examinations. In some cases, neurologic examination, CT, MRI or biopsies may also be recommended.
Treatment depends on the underlying disorder, severity of the disease, your individual pet, and your veterinarian. Treatment may include fluids, antibiotics, and other medications or surgery to treat the underlying disease. Discuss treatment details when your pet is evaluated and the underlying condition causing the lethargy is diagnosed.

Any decrease in an animal’s ability to bear weight on a limb or a decrease in the normal mobility and function of a limb can be considered lameness. Lameness can be extremely subtle or profound, affecting one limb or several limbs. It can be intermittent or constant, worse in the morning, worse at night, worse after rest, worse after or during exercise.

There is no breed, age or sex predilection for lameness. There are many causes of lameness from muscle injury, broken bones, arthritis, ligament injury, tumors or nerve damage, inflammation of growing bones in young puppies. For example, lameness may be associated with a traumatic event, such as being hit by a car, or it may develop gradually, as in a bone tumor in an affected leg. The underlying cause of a lameness may be life threatening or it may be detrimental to a good quality of life such as debilitating and painful hip dysplasia and its associated arthritis.

Diagnosis and Treatment Notes:

Lameness is typically diagnosed through history and physical examination findings. Determining the cause of the lameness requires further testing such as a neurologic exam, x-rays of the affected area, joint taps, ultrasound, CT, MRI, biopsy or specialized x-rays using dye.

Treatment depends on the underlying disorder, severity of the disease, your individual pet, and your veterinarian. Treatment may include rest, anti-inflammatory medications, pain medication, antibiotics or surgery. Discuss treatment details when your pet is evaluated and the underlying condition causing the lameness is diagnosed.

What to Watch for*:

Inability to walk or run normally
Reluctance to perform normal activity, like going up or down stairs
Refusing to place any weight on a leg
Pain

* Please notify us if you notice any of the above signs or if you have any questions!

Diarrhea is a common problem characterized by abnormal loose, watery or watery-mucoid stools. Occasionally the fecal material is also bloody. Diarrhea can be describedas acute,sudden onset and short duration (three weeks or less), or chronic (longer duration).

There are multiple causes of diarrhea. It can be caused by parasites, dietary indiscretion, changing foods, foreign body ingestion, tumors, and inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases and/or may occur as a side effect from some medications.
Diarrhea results from excessive water content in the feces and is an important sign of intestinal disease. Diarrhea can affect your pet by causing extreme fluid loss, which leads to dehydration, electrolyte disturbances, and/or acid-base imbalances.

Diagnosis and Treatment Notes:
The cause of the diarrhea may be diagnosed with a thorough history, physical examination, fecal examination and bloodwork. Abdominal x-rays and abdominal ultrasound may be recommended. In some cases, no definitive diagnosis is achieved.
Treatment depends on the severity of the disease, your individual pet, and your veterinarian. Pets with diarrhea are initially treated by resting the intestinal tract by withholding food for a period of time. They are then fed a bland easily digestible diet. Some will benefit from fluids, antibiotics and antidiarrheals. Discuss treatment details when your pet is diagnosed with this condition.

Coughing is a common protective reflex that clears secretions or foreign matter from the throat, voice box (larynx), windpipe (trachea) or airways, and protects the lungs against aspiration. It affects the respiratory system by hindering the ability to breathe properly.

Coughing is typically diagnosed through history and physical examination findings. Determining the cause of the cough may require additional testing such as bloodwork, chest x-rays, chest ultrasound, and heartworm test. In some cases, bronchoscopy, aspirates or biopsy may also be recommended.
Treatment depends on the underlying disorder, severity of the disease, your individual pet, and your veterinarian. Treatment may include antibiotics, cough suppressants, anti-inflammatory drugs, or other drugs to treat the underlying disease. Discuss treatment details when your pet is evaluated and the underlying condition causing the cough is diagnosed.

What to Watch for*:

Continued coughing
Breathing difficulty
Weakness
Lack of appetite

*Please notify us if you notice any of the above signs or if you have any questions!

Urinary incontinence is the loss of voluntary control of urination, often resulting in leaking. Normal urination requires that the nerves and muscles of the bladder work properly.
The most common form of incontinence in dogs is called “primary sphincter mechanism” incontinence and is thought to be caused by weakness of the urethral muscle. It is most common in middle-aged medium- to large-size spayed female dogs.

Urinary incontinence can have neurogenic (problems from the nerves that work the bladder) and non-neurogenic causes. Neurogenic causes of incontinence include those that are caused by abnormalities of parts of the nervous system involved in regulation of urination. Non-neurogenic causes of incontinence over-distension of the bladder due to partial obstruction, hormone-responsive incontinence, incontinence associated with urinary tract infection and abnormalities present at birth such as a misplaced ureteral opening (ectopic ureter).

Diagnosis and Treatment Notes:

Urinary incontinence is generally diagnosed by physical examination and history as well as a urinalysis, urine culture, bloodwork and X-rays. In some cases, contrast dye studies to evaluate for congenital abnormalities and bladder position may be helpful.
Treatment depends on the severity of the incontinence, underlying cause, your individual pet, and your veterinarian. Depending on the cause, some animals will benefit from surgery, catheterization or antibiotics. If the cause of the incontinence is not known, some dogs will benefit from a drug to help the urethral muscles (phenylpropanolamine) and female dogs may benefit from estrogen supplementation. Discuss treatment details when your pet is diagnosed with this condition.

What to Watch for*:

Dribbling of urine
Finding of wet spots where the pet was sleeping
Irritated skin from contact with urine

*Please notify us if you notice any of the above signs or if you have any questions!